Italian Army running in Verona: sport, integration, and values at the service of the community

As part of activities aimed at strengthening physical preparation and integration with the territory, the Italian Army participated in the Zero Wind Romeo & Giulietta Run held in Verona on Sunday, February 15, 2026, with the presence of about 200 Initial Term Volunteers from the 3rd block 2025 of the 85th Volunteer Training Regiment “Verona”. The young soldiers tackled the 8-kilometer course running alongside the citizens, offering concrete testimony of the value of sport as a formative tool and social cohesion.

The event, part of the 19th edition of the Zero Wind Romeo & Giulietta Run Half Marathon, saw the participation of nearly 10,000 athletes from over 80 nations, featuring a half marathon, relay race, and open trials for all. The start from Piazzale Olimpia and the finish at Bentegodi Stadium framed a course that traversed the historic streets of the city, confirming Verona as a reference point for national and international running.

Event, territory, and military presence

The Zero Wind Romeo & Giulietta Run confirmed itself as an event capable of combining competitive performance, popular participation, and territorial promotion. The highly scenic route transformed the city center into a shared space of sport and gathering, involving adults, young people, and families.

In this context, sport demonstrated its function as a universal language, fostering the meeting between institutions and citizens and strengthening the sense of community. The presence of the Army added a strong educational value to the event, highlighting the role of the Armed Forces as an active component of civil society and a promoter of positive values.

The participation of the Volunteers from the 85th Volunteer Training Regiment “Verona” represented a moment of significant contact with the urban fabric. The young soldiers did not just cover the race distance but shared the experience with the population in a climate of mutual participation.

The sporting activity is fully integrated into the training path of the Volunteers, contributing to the development of physical endurance, self-discipline, effort management, and team spirit. For the modern soldier, sport is also a school of character, a tool for psychophysical balance, and an opportunity for personal growth.

Sport, training, and shared values

The Verona event highlighted the natural convergence between the values of sport and those of the military institution: discipline, spirit of sacrifice, resilience, respect for rules, and teamwork form the foundation of both paths.

Experiences of this type allow Volunteers to consolidate the sense of belonging and group cohesion, learning to face fatigue together and pursue a common goal. The presence at the event returned the image of an Army fully integrated into the life of the country, present not only in operational activities but also in moments of social gathering, concretely testifying to the commitment of the Armed Forces as a living part of the community.

In this framework, the value of high-level military athletes is also included, embodying national sporting excellence and, at the same time, the values of the Armed Forces. The symbolic meeting with First Graduate Daniele Meucci offered the young trainees a concrete example of how rigor, perseverance, and a spirit of sacrifice can translate into top results.

The participation of the Army in the Romeo & Giulietta Run thus returned a complete image of the institution: training, integration, and representation united in a shared language. A clear message of dialogue and common growth, which strengthens the role of the Armed Forces as a point of connection between discipline, service, and community.